Lawn-mower



(No Model.)

S. J. BAKER.

LAWN MOWER. No. 327,987. Patented 001;. 13, 1885.

WITJVESSES 4 I aflgmg I 1 I v Attorneys- N. PETERS, Pnm-mmnflm,Wnhinglam no UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

SANFORD J. BAKER, OF OAKLAND, MAINE.

LAWN-MOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,987, dated October13, 1885.

Application filed January 2, 1835. Serial No. 151,809.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SANFORD J. BAKER, a. citizen of the United States,residing at Oakland, in the county of Kennebec and State of Maine, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Lawn-Mowers, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in lawn-mowers; and it consistsin the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will bemore fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

The object of my invention is to provide a lawnmower having itscutting-knives arranged to operate in advance of the drivingwheels, andthereby enable the machine to cut the grass clear up to a fence, stump,tree, or other object. The object of my invention is, further, toprovide a lawn-mower that is simple in construction, thoroughlyefficient, and easy of operation.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of amachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same,partly in section.

A represents the frame, which is composed of the sides B, the curvedprojecting rear end, 0, and the straight front end, D. The sides arecurved, as at E, where they join the front end, and extending rearwardlyfrom the rear side of the front endis atongue, F. The frame ispreferably formed of a single piece of cast metal, and is provided withblocks G, which are bolted to its under side, a little rearwardly of thecenter of the sides, as shown.

A shaft, H, is journaled in the blocks, and to the extremities of theshaft are attached the wheels I, one of said wheels being fast to andthe. other loose upon said shaft.

A cam, K, is made fast upon the center of the shaft. This cam is ofsomewhat less diameter than the wheels I, and has a serpentine groove,L, cut in its face.

The finger-bar M is of cast metal, and is bolted to the under side ofthe front end of the frame near its front edge.

The cutter-bar M is composed of a solid piece of saw-plate, serrated, asshown, and is placed upon the finger-bar, and is adapted to reciprocateback and forth thereon. The cutter-bar is prevented from getting out ofplace (No model.)

when the machine is in operation by lugs O, which are bolted to theupper side of the fingerbar and project forwardly over the cutter-bar.

In order to cause the machine to cut a swath as broad as the machine,and thus prevent either of the wheels from running on the 1111 cutgrass, I make the cutter-bar and finger-bar slightly longer than theextreme width of the machine from outside to outside of thedriving-wheels.

To the center of the cutter-bar, on its upper side, Irivet an ironbrace,P,which is provided with a central upwardlyprojecting tang, Q.

A lever, B, is fulcrumed on the upper side of the tongue F, as at R, andfrom the rear end of this lever extends upwardly a tang upon which isplaced an anti-friction roller, R, which bears in the grooved face ofthe cam and imparts a reciprocating motion to the lever when the machineis in motion. The front end of the lever is attached to the tang Q, andthereby operates the cutter-bar, as will be very readily understood.

A pushing-pole, T, is secured to the rear end of the frame, and projectsrearwardly and upwardly therefrom. A crossbar, T, is attached centrallyto the rear end of this pole and serves as a handle therefor.

Pivoted upon the shaft is a frame,V, which consists of thediagonally-arranged bars a, which extend rearwardly from the shaft andapproaching each other, forming an eye, a, where they meet.

A guide-wheelflV, is jourualedin aframe,w, and is pivoted to the frame Vby means of an upwardly-extending spindle, which is formed with theframe w, and which enters the eye a.

In order to adapt the cutter-bar to be adjusted so as to cut the grassat any desired height from the ground, Ipivotanut, Z, which is providedwith extending lugs z for that purpose, to the frame V, just in advanceof the eye. A plate, 2, having forwardly-extending lugs, is securedcentrally upon the upper side of the rear end of the frame A, and inbetween these lugs is pivoted anut, z. A screw,a, connects the nuts Zand z", and is provided with radial handle-arms a, to enable it to beeasily turned in the nuts. The opposite ends of this screw areoppositely threaded, as shown. When the screw is turned in onedirection,tl1e frames A and V are brought nearer together and thecutter-bar is raised. The opposite movement of the screw causes thereverse effect to be produced.

A lawn-mower thus constructed can be put upon the market at a veryslight cost, and will be found to have points of ad vantage over themachines now in common use for the same purpose. The cutter-bar being inadvance of the wheels enables the grass to be cut clear up to a fence orother object; the pivoted trailing guide-wheel relieves the operator'ofthe weight of the machine, and also assists in guiding it, and the screwand nuts enable the machine to be adjusted so as to cause the grass tobe cut at any desired height. 7.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of theshaft having the driving and supporting wheels and the camwheel, themain frame, to which the shaft is journaled, the cutter-bar secured atthe front lower end of the main frame, the fulcrumed lever connectingthe cam-wheel with the cutter bar, the frame V, pivoted on the shaft andcarrying the trail-wheel, and means, between the main frame and theframe V, to adjust the cutter-bar vertically, substantially asdescribed. 2. The combination of the shaft having the cutter-bar at itsfrontlower end and the pushing-po1e at its rear end, the fulcrumed leverconnecting the cam-wheel and the cutter-bar to operate the latter, theframe V, pivoted on the shaft and carrying the trail-wheel, the nut Z,pivoted to frame V, the nut z, pivoted to the main frame, and theright-and-left hand screw working in the nuts, to adj ust the cutterbarvertically, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the driving-shaft, the supporting-wheels, andthe main frame journaled on the driving-shaft and carrying thecutter-bar, of the driving mechanism for the latter, the supplementalframe carrying the trail-wheel and pivoted or hinged on thedriving-shaft, and means, substantially as described, located betweenthe main and supplemental frames, to adjust the cutter-bar vertically,as set forth.

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

SANFORD J. BAKER.

\Vitnesses:

NEWELL HoXIn, J. E. HARRIS.

